Children and Adolescents

CENTER FOR POSITIVE CHANGE, PLC

"Helping People Thrive"

__________________________________________________

Center for Positive Change, PLC
Stephanie Fellenberg, Psy.D.
1200 Prince Street, Alexandria, VA 22314
Tel: (703) 201-8140 Fax: (703) 704-5719
__________________________________________________________

Children and Adolescents

Children and adolescents in modern society live in a fast-paced ever changing environment that can make life even for the most resourceful ones challenging and stressful. Parents bring their children to therapy for a wide variety of reasons. Some children need help adjusting to a new situation (e.g., their parent's divorce, a move cross country). Others need help dealing more effectively with everyday stressors. Children and adolescents can suffer from depression and anxiety, but symptoms often fool adults into thinking that they have a behavior or attention problem, or that they are just not trying hard enough. If your child or adolescent seems to be struggling in school, with peers, or at home, you might want to consider coming in for a diagnostic consultation.

Services for Children and Adolescents:
ADHD
behavioral problems
school problems
anxiety
depression
Cutting (self-harming)
loss/grief
divorce
remarriage of parents
trauma (incl. sexual abuse)
adjustment problems
social skills
self-esteem/self-image

What can we expect when we bring our child to you for psychotherapy?

Dr. Fellenberg generally likes to meet with as many family members as possible for the first session. This session is a diagnostic consultation and will be your longest session, lasting 90 minutes. Dr. Fellenberg likes to meet the family because it helps her get to know the child or adolescent and his/her family and enhances her assessment of the presenting problem.

During this first session, she and you will also determine what course of treatment will be best. In general, the younger the children are, the more parent involvement will be necessary. Depending on the type of problem at hand, parents may or may not be as actively involved in treatment of their teenagers. However, even if a teenager is being seen for individual therapy, Dr. Fellenberg requests regular parent meetings. Once the terms of treatment have been discussed during the first session, Dr. Fellenberg sees children and adolescents on a weekly basis for 45-50 minute sessions, unless another frequency is clinically indicated.

Dr. Fellenberg understands the importance of finding the right therapist for your child or adolescent. Therefore, she offers 20-minute "meet-the-therapist" sessions. For more information please call Dr. Fellenberg at 703-201-8140.